A Candle in the Window

Book By: L. Don Swartz
Play #: 8328
Pages: 60 pgs
Cast: 5 m, 4 w, 3 boys, 4 girls

A small group of weary travelers discover the power of the season while trapped in a lonely train station on Christmas Eve. As a blizzard rages outside, the troubled people are forced to turn to each other for companionship. Trying to make them more comfortable is the old stationmaster, Charlie. When the clock strikes midnight, there is a knock on the station door and seven youngsters appear. They've seen the station lights from the nearby church where, in secret, they've been practicing the story of the nativity which they plan to present at regular service. They offer to perform their play for the travelers and afterward, speak to the travelers individually, giving advice which is seemingly wise beyond their years. The next morning, as a new, younger stationmaster lights a Christmas candle, we realize the mysterious stop in the travelers' journey was more than accidental and has given them a renewed spirit and resolve. Full evening.

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Productions

GATEWAY PLAYERS THEATRE 6 Performance(s)
CHARLTON CITY, MA 12/5/2025
OWENSVILLE REGIONAL ARTS COUNCIL 3 Performance(s)
OWENSVILLE, MO 12/13/2024
GRAND ISLAND LITTLE THEATRE 5 Performance(s)
GRAND ISLAND, NE 12/11/2024
ELK RAPIDS PLAYERS 6 Performance(s)
RAPID CITY, MI 12/6/2024
PORT ARTHUR LITTLE THEATRE 6 Performance(s)
NEDERLAND, TX 11/29/2024
WISCONSIN RAPIDS COMMUNITY THEATRE 6 Performance(s)
PORT EDWARDS, WI 12/8/2023
TATER PATCH PLAYERS 10 Performance(s)
JASPER, GA 11/22/2023
HISTORIC HOOSIER THEATER 3 Performance(s)
VEVAY, IN 12/16/2022
FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH 3 Performance(s)
CAPE CORAL, FL 12/8/2022
PANHANDLE COMMUNITY THEATRE 9 Performance(s)
PACE, FL 12/2/2022
POLO AREA COMMUNITY THEATRE 5 Performance(s)
POLO, IL 12/2/2022
GILMER ARTS 6 Performance(s)
ELLIJAY, GA 12/2/2022
SPRING VALLEY STAGEHANDS 6 Performance(s)
SPRING VALLEY , WI 12/15/2021
EUNICE PLAYERS' THEATRE 1 Performance(s)
EUNICE, LA 12/15/2021
STARRY NIGHT THEATRE, INC. 8 Performance(s)
NORTH TONAWANDA, NY 12/9/2021
GILMER ARTS 1 Performance(s)
ELLIJAY, GA 12/3/2021
EUNICE PLAYERS' THEATRE 7 Performance(s)
EUNICE, LA 11/11/2021
THEATRE SHENANDOAH 9 Performance(s)
EDINBURG, VA 12/7/2018
NEW DAWN THEATER COMPANY 10 Performance(s)
DULUTH, GA 12/7/2018
STARRY NIGHT THEATRE, INC. 8 Performance(s)
NORTH TONAWANDA, NY 12/6/2018
PORT ARTHUR LITTLE THEATRE 6 Performance(s)
NEDERLAND, TX 11/23/2018
THE ZEPHYR THEATRE 4 Performance(s)
STILLWATER, MN 12/15/2017
LEGACY THEATRE 5 Performance(s)
NEW MARKET, TN 11/10/2017
TRINITY CHRISTIAN ACADEMY 1 Performance(s)
SAN ANTONIO, TX 12/9/2016
STARRY NIGHT THEATRE INC 8 Performance(s)
NORTH TONAWANDA, NY 12/10/2015
THREE CHICKS AND A STAGE 2 Performance(s)
EFFINGHAM, IL 12/5/2015
RHODES GROVE CAMP CONFERENCE 3 Performance(s)
CHAMBERSBURG, PA 11/28/2014
LSU PHYSICS ASTRONOMY 1 Performance(s)
BATON ROUGE, LA 12/21/2013
THEATRE SHENANDOAH 4 Performance(s)
EDINBURG, VA 12/13/2013
AURORA PLAYERS 4 Performance(s)
EAST AURORA, NY 12/12/2013
BETHEL CHRISTIANL SCHOOL 1 Performance(s)
LANCASTER, CA 12/7/2013
USCS THEATRE 3 Performance(s)
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO 12/13/2012
WOLF RIVER COMMUNITY THEATRE 4 Performance(s)
WEYAUWEGA, WI 12/5/2012
STARRY NIGHT THEATRE INC 9 Performance(s)
NORTH TONAWANDA, NY 11/29/2012
PERFORMING ARTS GUILD 4 Performance(s)
MT MORRIS, IL 12/8/2011
SOUTHERN HUNTINGDON CO 3 Performance(s)
THREE SPRINGS, PA 12/2/2011
THE BARN PLAYHOUSE 15 Performance(s)
SASKATOON, SK 12/2/2011
WARREN PLAYERS 4 Performance(s)
WARREN, PA 12/1/2011
BOISE LITTLE THEATRE 13 Performance(s)
BOISE, ID 11/23/2011
ACT 1 SCENE 1 THEATRE CO. 6 Performance(s)
GROVES, TX 11/4/2011
VILLAGE OF ORLAND PARK REC DEP 3 Performance(s)
ORLAND PARK , IL 12/10/2010
GOOD NEIGHBORS THEATRE, INC. 5 Performance(s)
BYRDSTOWN, TN 12/3/2010
NEW DAWN THEATER COMPANY 12 Performance(s)
DACULA, GA 12/2/2010
GOOD NEIGHBORS THEATRE, INC. 2 Performance(s)
BYRDSTOWN, TN 12/10/2009
GOOD NEIGHBORS THEATRE 4 Performance(s)
PALL MALL, TN 12/4/2009
GATEWAY PLAYERS THEATRE, INC 3 Performance(s)
SOUTHBRIDGE, MA 12/4/2009
STARRY NIGHT THEATRE INC 9 Performance(s)
NORTH TONAWANDA, NY 12/1/2009
WEST EDMONTON CHRISTIAN ASSEMB 4 Performance(s)
EDMONTON, AB 12/11/2008
WINGS OF FAITH CHURCH OF GOD 1 Performance(s)
BOCA RATON, FL 12/1/2008
HEARTLAND COMMUNITY THEATRE 3 Performance(s)
HAYS, KS 12/6/2007
HEARTLAND COMMUNITY THEATRE 1 Performance(s)
HAYS, KS 12/6/2007
HFS LEGACY THEATRE 6 Performance(s)
JEFFERSON CITY, TN 11/30/2007
KALEO PLAYERS 1 Performance(s)
CONWAY, AR 1/25/2007
THEATRE GROUP 1 Performance(s)
WAYNESBORO, TN 12/15/2006
KALEO PLAYERS 1 Performance(s)
CONWAY, AR 12/8/2006
SACRED HEART HIGH SCHOOL 3 Performance(s)
EAST GRAND FORKS, MN 12/8/2006
BLOOMINGTON PARKS & REC 2 Performance(s)
BLOOMINGTON, IL 12/1/2006
STARRY NIGHT THEATRE 9 Performance(s)
N. TONAWANDA, NY 11/30/2006
NORTHWOODS PERFORMING ARTS 8 Performance(s)
PRIEST RIVER, ID 10/13/2006

Behind The Scenes

PLAYWRIGHT L. DON SWARTZ

TALKS ABOUT

"A CANDLE IN THE WINDOW"

 

Q: WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO WRITE THIS PLAY?

A. I attended a boarding high school, a thousand miles from home, and a college 500 miles from home. I spent 8 years at an impressionable age with strangers in train and bus stations trying to get home for the holidays. Many of the characters I met shared stories that had an impact on me. As a playwright I could attach a happy-ending to their adventures long after another train took them out of my life.

 

Q. WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE PART OF LINE IN THE PLAY? WHY?

A. I like the second act with the arrival of the children. It always seems to me like help is on the way when the winter wind blows them into the train station.

 

Q. WHAT DID YOU TRY TO ACHIEVE WITH THIS PLAY?

A. The idea that Hope can be found anywhere, and even come from a stranger in the middle of the night.

 

Q. DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADD?

A. This is the first original play I ever wrote and it remains my favorite to this day.